MAC UPGRADE - THE TECNICAL STUFF

I have successfully managed to upgrade the software for my Mac (OS X) which I purchased 6 years ago.   What I have proved is that it is, indeed, do-able.  With a fair amount of searching on the internet every time I came across a hurdle - and there were a few - I found solutions on the internet simply by googling my question enough times using various keywords.

As I found my searches very helpful I wish to pass on some information that might help the next person in my position.

This shows the type of machine I have which is an iMac. This website helps to identify the type of computer you have. 

I upgraded from Tiger to Leopard and then to Snow Leopard.  Now all was well, i.e. didn't affect anything negatively, i.e. speed was better but no files or software were affected.

Then I upgraded to Lion.  Now I was told ahead of time, and there is lots on the net about this, you lose certain types of software, i.e. "we [Mac] do not support this software" message comes up.  This is a shock if you are not prepared.  I used the desktop publishing software Quarkxpress 6.2 and it gave me 7 days' notice to say "You will no longer be able to use this software."  Too right.  A big Do Not Enter sign is across the icon.  End of the line!  (I replaced it, for £20.00, with iPages which is good enough for the type of work that I do.) 

Worse, was that the same happened for Photoshop CS2 that I was using but no 7 days' notice. Again the reasons are all on the net in various discussion sites.

The good news, however, is that it is possible to upgrade to Photoshop CS5.1 and I did this successfully.  Because I had the old software CD with the serial number I signed into the the Apple Account using this serial number, bought the Upgrade (I did not have to buy the whole new suite) and it accepted it with no difficulty.  I downloaded it off the net as opposed to buying the boxed CD and it was fine.  Well ... nearly fine.  The only thing to say is that their instruction run scheme doesn't quite match what you see on the screen but by guessing what they mean it worked.  And yes, I am very happy with the final "functionality"!

So the moral of the story is: probably best to upgrade sooner rather than later.  My stuff was 5 years old and, I guess, that is pretty old for today's software!

NEW BEGINNINGS: FLAUBERT

Today was lovely with the sun shining but as it was too cold too sit outside I sat inside, with the sun basking through the window, enjoying Julian Barnes' book Flaubert's Parrot [Vintage, 2009]. 

A blue sky! 

"Novelists should thank Flaubert the way poets thank spring; it all begins again with him. There really is a time before Flaubert and a time after him. Flaubert decisively established what most readers and writers think of as modern realist narration, and his influence is almost too familiar to be visible. We hardly remark of good prose that it favors the telling of brilliant detail; that it privileges a high degree of visual noticing; that it maintains an unsentimental composure and knows how to withdraw, like a good valet, from superfluous commentary; that it judges good and bad neutrally; that it seeks out the truth, even at the cost of repelling us; and that the author's fingerprints on all this are paradoxically, traceable but not visible.”

—Critic James Wood in How Fiction Works (2008)

A single iris in the spring sunshine.

ENGINEERS IN THE MAKING?

Mairi and the children were at the Science Fair where there are lots of hands-on exhibits. I can see one or other of these two becoming an engineer.  Maybe Alastair is the Get in There And Get Your Handsy Dirty type where Ishie might be the Ordering Everyone About type!

It reminds me of a cartoon Iain showed me once:  Leonardo da Vinci's mother was leaning on the garden fence chatting to the lady next door.  Little Leonardo is playing on grass at his mother's feet.  The lady next door is looking down at little Leonardo taking apart something on the grass and wistfully says to his mother "It's too bad little  Leonardo just wants to become an engineer."

COLOUR IN THE GARDEN

Colour is now appearing in the garden!  A couple of sunny days and the place is transformed. 

 I planted these irises last year and suddenly they have bloomed.  We are very lucky that there is always something in the garden each month of the year even if it is green holly bushes or ivy during the months of December into January. 

We had our former neighbours over for dinner this week and Lesley brought these primulas that I will plant in the garden tomorrow.

 

 Using a plastic water bottle I  purchased a bird feeder attachment for it (£1.50) and it has worked a treat.  You simply screw the green seed holder section on to the neck of the bottle.  The birds perch on the edge and feed on the seed which drops down into the tray which forms the base.

GLASGOW WHOLE FOODS STORE

Glasgow has recently opened up a large Whole Foods Store.  While not located in our part of the city I headed over to Giffnock today with the intention of buying some supplies for a dinner party we are having tomorrow.

Well, I had a ball!   I remember the days when this shop (store) was Safeway's and it has now had a complete make-over.  It has a very West Coast of North America feel about the place with its wooden board exterior and brown grocery bags being packed by lads at the check-out.  Yes, it had all the grains, pulses, nuts and seeds and plenty else besides.  Yes, it was rather expensive but oh-h-h the range and quality! 

 

I said to the lad at the delicatessen area where sushi was being offered for tasting, "Goodness!  This could be Vancouver!" And just then a children's choir started singing "Do Lord, Oh Do Lord ..." negro spiritual!  Apparently 5% of the day's taking go to the school which whose choir was performing.

What I was looking for was blocks of chocolate for baking ... and indeed, they had it (lower left corner of photo).  I haven't seen that for years.  Britain does not sell Bakers chocolate in any shape or form.  Never has.

In the above photo I picked up [L] unsulphered apricots. Verdict: completely tasteless! [centre bag] red rice from the Camargue region of France [R] walnuts which apparently are the best ever according to Christina.  (Though she lives near Whole Foods I was unable to visit today.)  The Brownies are just out of the oven and are for tomorrow.

FEBRUARY HOLIDAY PHOTOS

John took some photos of the children last weekend. 

Here is Ishie flying a kite at Dunira.

Alastair practicing on his"climbing wall".

INDY'S EYE EXPLAINED

 Dawn and Alastair have posted some photos on Indy's blog here.  I have taken the liberty of copying one photo and the text here to highlight the work that has been done to give Indy an artificial left eye.  Just look at the match in this latest photo! And furthermore, Dawn explains how the eye is fitted so that the prosthesis will move along with the other eye when it moves.  Amazing!

 

She says:

"Indy's prosthetic is really quite amazing.  If you were to meet him now you really could have a hard time telling which one is the real eye.  It's tracking along with his other eye quite well now and doesn't seem to be causing him any problems.

It seems there was some confusion about how it works so I thought I would write a post to clarify.

When they removed his eye they put in an implant, a sphere covered in a special porous surface that was surgically attached to his eye muscles.  His body won't reject it as it's made of a special material.  As it is surgically attached, he will live with this implant.  When he looks to the left, the muscles will move this implant as if it was an eye.  The implant is a pinkish color - you can see it at the top of this page, [i.e. the following photo]  covered by a see through "space keeper" which was put at the same time to hold the space for where a prosthetic would be added.

The prosthetic sits under the eyelids and over the implant and can be removed.   As the implant moves, it moves the prosthetic around, with about 60% of the motion.  When he's looking straight ahead both eyes look straight ahead (most of the time). I believe the prosthetic is made out of dental materials. The front was hand painted and is a really good match.  Even if you have a close look, the color and texture of the eye and iris are very similar."

Several days later ... here is another photo.  Look at how the two eyes are moving together!